Discovery BoxActs 25:14-15 
Context25:14 While 1 they were staying there many days, Festus 2 explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, 3 saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, 4 the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed 5 me about him, 6 asking for a sentence of condemnation 7 against him.
Acts 25:19
Context25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement 8 with him about their own religion 9 and about a man named Jesus 10 who was dead, whom Paul claimed 11 to be alive.
Acts 25:26
Context25:26 But I have nothing definite 12 to write to my lord 13 about him. 14 Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, 15 so that after this preliminary hearing 16 I may have something to write.
1 tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b states, “w. pres. or impf. while, when, as long as…Ac 1:10; 7:23; 9:23; 10:17; 13:25; 19:9; 21:27; 25:14.”
2 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
3 tn Grk “Festus laid Paul’s case before the king for consideration.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατίθημι 2 states, “otherw. only mid. to lay someth. before someone for consideration, declare, communicate, refer w. the added idea that the pers. to whom a thing is ref. is asked for his opinion lay someth. before someone for consideration…Ac 25:14.”
4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
5 tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “to convey a formal report about a judicial matter, present evidence, bring charges…ἐ. περί τινος concerning someone 25:15.”
6 tn Grk “about whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 15 (where the phrase περὶ οὗ [peri Jou] occurs in the Greek text).
7 tn BDAG 516 s.v. καταδίκη states, “condemnation, sentence of condemnation, conviction, guilty verdict…αἰτεῖσθαι κατά τινος κ. ask for a conviction of someone Ac 25:15.”
8 tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”
9 tn On this term see BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαιμονία 2. It is a broad term for religion.
sn About their own religion. Festus made it clear that in his view as a neutral figure (and as one Luke had noted was disposed to help the Jews), he saw no guilt in Paul. The issue was a simple religious dispute.
10 tn Grk “a certain Jesus.”
11 tn Or “asserted.”
12 sn There is irony here. How can Festus write anything definite about Paul, if he is guilty of nothing.
13 sn To my lord means “to His Majesty the Emperor.”
14 tn Grk “about whom I have nothing definite…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 26.
15 sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.
16 tn Or “investigation.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνάκρισις has “a judicial hearing, investigation, hearing, esp. preliminary hearing…τῆς ἀ. γενομένης Ac 25:26.” This is technical legal language.
